Schedule: Fisher calls it “hardest” nonconference schedule “since I’ve been here,” with the eight most challenging games bunched from Nov. 15 to Dec. 7: at Baylor, USC, Long Beach State, at Arizona, at UCSB, Creighton, Cal, at USD.

Conference: The MWC loses BYU and Utah but gains Boise State, leaving it with eight teams instead of nine. New Mexico and UNLV are picked by most to battle for the title, with the Aztecs in third.

Outlook: Who knows? The Aztecs lost a ton but they also have capable replacements in Thames and the 6-11 Green. Depth might be a problem, with just nine eligible scholarship players — and that includes Tim Shelton and his ailing knees, plus two players (Alec Williams and LaBradford Franklin) who rarely saw the floor last season. A six-year streak of winning at least 20 games and reaching the postseason could be in jeopardy.

-- MARK ZEIGLER

Steve Fisher was asked earlier this week who his captain is for the upcoming season.

“Have I found a captain yet?” he replied. “I’m trying to find a guy who can bring the ball up the floor. What are you talking about, have you found a captain yet?”

The press conference burst into laughter. Fisher chuckled along with everybody else. For a moment.

It’s all jokes and smiles now, but on Friday afternoon official practice opens for the San Diego State men’s basketball team and exactly four weeks later the Aztecs play their first real game. That’s not very much time, not when you’re trying to rebuild Rome in 28 days.

Fisher admits it: “I’m a little bit nervous.”

Never in his 13 years on Montezuma Mesa have the Aztecs raised expectations so high (34-3 and a Sweet 16 appearance tends to do that), and never have they needed to replace so much from the previous season. Viejas Arena, not long ago a basketball morgue, could be sold out for the entire season before a single game is played. And the team playing in it is without four starters, six lettermen, an assistant coach, the captain, 72.8 percent of its scoring, 74.4 percent of its rebounding, 72.1 percent of its assists, 68.8 percent of its minutes played ...

“A lot of holes to fill,” Fisher said.

Oh, and they have nine scholarship players eligible to suit up.

Two of those nine rarely saw the floor last season, one is a junior college transfer who has played organized basketball for just three years, one has perpetually sore knees that severely limit his availability for practice or games, one recently got an underage DUI and may be suspended for the first part of the season.